


Supernova, Baby

by Squid_Ink



Series: Domestic Avengers [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain Marvel (2019), Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bruce is basically the team doctor, Discussion of Abortion, Discussion of Adoption, F/M, Natasha and Carol are besties, Natasha likes being a mom, Single Motherhood, Unplanned Pregnancy, baby James Rogers is cute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-10-13 11:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20582021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squid_Ink/pseuds/Squid_Ink
Summary: An unplanned pregnancy throws Carol's entire life out of wack. Unsure if she even wants to keep it until a precognitive flash reveals her unborn baby's potential future, Carol decides that she has to woman up and tackle the challenges of single-motherhood head on.





	1. Act I

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Fireworks, Baby](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19771855) by [Squid_Ink](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squid_Ink/pseuds/Squid_Ink). 

It was rainy for June and she knew she shouldn't be driving these twisty roads so fast but — damn it — she had been sitting in her apartment's bathroom for two hours just staring at the damn thing numb with shock, and when she finally decided to actually _do_ something about it she realized that flying was one hundred percent out of the question.

So, she hopped into her clunky old jeep and barreled out of the city, heading north to a quiet rural town. Sure, it was two in the morning — deer were out — and she hadn't slept and she now couldn't drink coffee, so she was chewing bubble gum — and why the fuck did they live so damn far from the city? Didn't Tony give them a nice penthouse apartment?

She took a left and then a right, before making another left. The jeep hit a pot hole, bouncing and groaning and she ground her teeth, gripping the steering wheel — God, oh how she wished she could fly, but she can't. Not in her condition. That got a derisive snort from her. Condition. As if there was something abnormal about her. Finally, she entered the neighborhood, grumbling as she looked for their driveway. It was the last one with the house furthest from the road. The jeep creaked and groaned, gravel crunching beneath the tires. Parking in front of the garage she got out and took a moment to be sick, right there on their lawn. The rain will wash it away. No need to make a fuss about a little puke. Not that she had anything in her stomach, seeing as she had been unable to really _eat_ anything for the past few days. When the urge to gag subsided, she wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her jacket, scowling at her reflection in the car window. Blonde hair wet and matted to her head, blue eyes a maelstrom of emotions: This was… this was not what she wanted to do — she felt like a teenage runaway — but she had few friends outside the Avengers and nobody she could really trust with this information.

She knocked on the door instead of ringing the doorbell. It was the sensible thing to do, not wanting to wake the baby. Only a loud, happy barking echoed through the house, followed by the ear-splitting wail of the baby. Great. The one thing she was trying to avoid, and she successfully managed to not avoid it. The lights in the house came on — "Baily, knock it off!" — and the door opened to reveal Steve Rogers in an old SSR shirt and his boxers (navy blue with silver stars) with mussed blond hair and a sleepy look n his blue eyes.

"Carol?" he asked, rubbing a knuckle into his eye. "Wha" — he yawned — "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Steve, who is it?" Natasha called from somewhere in the house. "Bailey! Steve!"

A dog — puppy really — came barreling down the stairs, heading straight for the door. Steve grabbed the dog's collar, yanking him to a halt. She could hear the dog's excited pants as he strained against his collar. "Back Bailey," Steve said, pulling the dog back as she stepped inside. The door clicked shut behind her and Steve let the dog go. Bailey was like any puppy — overly excited about anything new — jumping and sniffing her, his tail wagging so hard she was afraid his butt would fall off. Steve grabbed him when he tried to jump on her, hauling him back. For a brief moment she saw Natasha's cat Liho. A sleek black animal slinking from shadow to shadow, aloof yet interested about all the noise until she saw it was just _another human_ and with a casual flick of her ear, slinked off up the stairs, black tail in the air.

Toeing her shoes off and wincing as the baby continued to wail — God, she'll be dealing with that in nine months — Carol walked to the kitchen and sat down at the table, in the dark, with rain splattering against the window. A few minutes later Natasha and Steve came in. The baby — James — continued to cry and sniffle, rubbing his small face in the crook of his mother's neck, one small fist wrapped around the strap of Natasha's cami, the other holding a lock of her hair in a death grip. A grimace passed across her face. "Sorry," she said, "I was trying to avoid waking him." Natasha waved her hand dismissively, while Steve busied himself at the stove, putting a kettle and a pot of water on. He pulled out a bottle and a container of formula, measuring out a few scoops. She frowned. "Aren't you breast feeding?" she asked.

"I am" — Natasha pulled out a chair and sat down — "but James inherited not only the super soldier serum but the metabolic side effects. So, we try to give him a bottle at night." She made a face. "I'm just not producing milk fast enough for him. He doesn't care for the formula, but we can get him to accept the bottle most of the time." She patted James' back in a soothing manner. The baby's cries had turned into unhappy snuffles at some point. Carol couldn't take her eyes off the infant. It wasn't that she hated babies or children — she liked Frank and Maria's daughter Monica just fine, thank you very much — it was just that she didn't like _other_ people's babies. No matter what people said about how well behaved their child is, in her experience that was bullshit. All babies cried at inappropriate times, they were sticky and clingy and demanding, poopy diapers and spit up all over. It was just something she never liked witnessing and then when they got mobile it only compounded the annoying awfulness of babies. "— are you here?" Natasha asked, putting a hand on hers.

"Huh?" Carol looked up, staring at the other woman. Steve had taken James, shushing him as he plucked the bottle out of the boiling water and tested it on his arm.

"Nat is this too hot?" he asked, dripping some of the pasty white formula onto her shoulder.

"Nah," Natasha said, wiping it off. "It's fine." Steve gave a nod and shifted James — who protested with a whimper — and pressed the bottle to the baby's lips.

"C'mon big guy, take the bottle for Daddy," Steve said, his voice a soft coaxing coo. Nobody would ever believe her if she told them that Captain America _cooed_ at his son as he tried to get the baby to take a bottle. James squirmed, whimpering and when Natasha looked over and smiled, James settled down enough to accept the bottle.

"He seems difficult," she said, watching Steve sway in place as James guzzled the bottle. Natasha shrugged, getting up when the kettle whistled and turning off the stove.

"He just doesn't like Steve feeding him for some reason. Has to make sure I approve of something. Tea?"

"Sure, uh… orange spice if you have it," she said. Natasha nodded and got two cups. She glanced at her husband, gesturing with the cup.

"Nah, I'm good." Steve shook his head, before going back to watching his son eat. It was all so domestic. So domestic that Carol had a hard time putting Captain America and Black Widow over the images of Steve and Natasha in her head. She worked with Steve on a few missions since James had been born and he was so different as Captain America: a leader born and tried in the crucible of WWII. The team obeyed his orders — even Tony, who normally bucked at any form of authority — deferred to his leadership without question. When she filled in for Steve, she had to _earn_ all that. There had been a few mission where she and Tony almost came to blows over the best course of action. And she only had rumors to go off of about Natasha's abilities as a fighter and spy.

"You seem very far away," Natasha said, setting the mug of hot tea before her. The sharp zesty smell of orange and warm spices helped calm her nerves; she wrapped her hands around the mug, savoring the heat (and subconsciously absorbing the thermal energy). She smiled at the other woman.

"What makes you say that?" she asked. Natasha smirked, sipping her tea. Her dad once told her — as she was trying to lie her away out of some trouble or other — that you can't bullshit a bullshitter. And Natasha was the queen of bullshitting.

"You know I can read you like an open book, right?" Natasha blew on her tea before taking a sip. James made a snuffling sound and a soft content sigh escaped. Carol watched as Steve set the empty bottle on the counter, hefting James onto his shoulder and gently patted his back.

"I'm pregnant." It was the first time she said those words aloud, and the world didn't stop spinning, reality didn't fall apart, Natasha's head didn't explode. In fact, nothing happened. Silence pressed in around her. Colder than the vacuum of space, more unforgiving than the might of the stars and stronger than the gravitational pull of a black hole. The stillness was akin to doing a spacewalk. This absence of sensory input, suspended among nothing with the silence as company, squeezing into every bit of her soul.

James' burp broke the silence and the baby pushed himself from his father's shoulder and stared at her with calm blue eyes. For the first time, she noticed that James' eyes were a few shades darker than his father's. The baby blinked, before pillowing his head against his father's shoulder, snuggling into his neck, tiny fists curling into the old t-shirt. With a belly full fo warm milk and safe in his father's arms, James went back to sleep. "Atta boy," Steve whispered, his large hand — seriously though, she never realized just how big Steve or his muscles actually were until she saw him hold James. It was awe inspiring to realize how gentle he was with his son — rubbing up and down James' back.

"You're pregnant," Natasha said, cool as a cucumber and calm as the eye of a hurricane; sipping her tea. One hand fell below the table to rub Bailey's ears. "Do you know how far along?" Carol shook her head. "Does the father—"

"Thor? God no! I just found out today because I was sick of throwing up, so I bought a pregnancy test and I spent two hours just staring at in in my bathroom." She rubbed her face, before taking a swallow of her tepid tea. "I thought I couldn't get pregnant. Ever since the psyche-magnetron accident and Mar-Vell's DNA fusing with mine — when he took me to Hala so the Kree could stabilize me… I thought it sterilized me or something," she said, then made a face. "Sorry."

If Natasha was offended, she didn't show it. Instead she smiled and took another sip of her tea. "So," she said, an amused twitch of her lips, "you and Thor, huh?"

At that she blushed, ducking her head until her hair hid her face. "Yeah," she said. "It just… sorta happened." She and Thor had a sort of camaraderie. They were both the strongest on the team, aliens in a way, and had powers mortal would attribute to gods. She could actually drink Asgardian mead without getting insta-drunk, something that pleased Thor greatly. They often spent their nights together talking about the distant worlds they visited and the battles they fought in. It was nice having him around. She hadn't been on Earth since the 90s and a lot had changed and even though a lot was still familiar to her she still felt — well the Japanese had a word for it: _gaijin_ — alien to her own planet. It felt good to have Thor with her, struggling just as much as she was, trying to adjust to Earth culture.

And then… a rogue Hydra cell. The Avengers assembled to fight it and there was some Chitauri tech that only she and Thor could take out. The big nigh impenetrable type that required a lot of brute force and sheer stubbornness to take down. They defeated the monster, but Thor had taken a bad hit and that night, while they licked their wounds in Avengers Tower they found solace in each other's arms. Just thinking about that made her blush and her loins ache.

"I'm glad you and Thor are getting along. You can help him muddle through Earth culture." Natasha watched the rain for a moment or two. "Do you love him?"

She laughed, ignoring Natasha's question and instead focusing on something less icky than trying to figure out exactly what she feels towards Thor. "Kinda dated on that but yeah. It's been nice really, both of us figuring out things together. Taught him how to bowl. That's interesting." She licked her lips. "How… how did you…" she bit her lip.

"Tell Steve?" she smirked, glancing at Steve, who was just standing there with James in his arms. "Gave him baby clothes for his birthday."

She grinned. "No… how… how did you know what you wanted to do?" she put her hand over her belly. There was a small swell there. "About the baby."

Natasha nodded. "I… I just knew. I always wanted to be a mother" — she frowned at the words — "No, that's not right. I wanted… I wanted the chance to be a mother. The option. And when I found out I was pregnant, I just knew." She shrugged. "Why?"

"I don't want to keep it." Drinking her tea was better than having to explain why she didn't. Steve frowned.

"Wait," he said, you want to put a quarter human, quarter Kree and half-Asgardian child up for adoption?" His eyes nearly umped out of his skull. "No normal human family will be able to handle such a child, Carol. What if the baby starts conjuring lightning or ice daggers?"

"Jotun have ice powers, Steve," Natasha said, nonchalantly, "Thor explained that to you."

"I know," Carol said, "but that's not what I meant when I said I'm not planning on keeping it."

"Then what —"

"Steve, go put James to bed," Natasha said. Steve opened his mouth to protest. "Now Steve, this is woman talk" — she gave him a devilish smirk — "you know _uterus_ stuff." He paled a bit and gave a curt nod.

"C'mon buddy," he said to the obviously asleep baby. "Let's go away. We don't need to hear all that icky girl stuff." He walked off, giving Natasha a quick peck before disappearing from view. Bailey huffed at Carol's feet.

"40s sensibility still gets him from time to time." She smiled. Carol waited for Natasha to say something more — about not aborting her pregnancy — but she didn't. The clock tick-tocked, the one sound besides the rain in the silent kitchen.

It got a point where Carol couldn't take the silence anymore. "You aren't going to say anything?" she asked. "No: you should keep your baby! Children are a gift."

"Do you want me too?" Natasha arched a brow. She shook her head. "Then I won't. The choice is yours. My sterilization always made me feel… less in a way. It always galled me that I was denied the chance to choose to be a mother or not. So, when I found out I was pregnant I knew I couldn't play God and deny my child the chance at life. The choice to bring life into the world was denied to me for so long… I couldn't choose to deny the right to life for someone else."

Carol nodded. It made sense. What little she knew about Natasha was that despite her cold emotionless exterior, she did care deeply about others. Especially children. "I never wanted to be a mother, you know," she said, tapping a nail against the mug. "Growing up, all I ever wanted was for my dad to see my worth, to prove myself. To be the best of the best. Children… motherhood just hindered that. My friend Maria was forced out from being a pilot when she got pregnant. And I just… didn't see that life for me. I never really liked kids, never liked babies. When Mar-Vell told me I may be unable to have children" — she sipped her tea — "did you want to be a mother?"

"I don't know. Never crossed my mind to be honest. Didn't really have the chance anyway. Too busy learning how to kill and survive to think about a future I couldn't have."

"Are you happy now though?" she asked. "With James and Steve and this life?" Carol waved her hand around the kitchen.

Natasha smiled. "Yes." There was a serene look on her face, as if the pieces of her life had magically fallen into their proper places. "More than anything. I feel fulfilled, and so thankful for my son and husband. Carol," she said, taking her hand, "this life isn't for everyone. Some crave it, like Steve. Some didn't even realize how badly they wanted it until they had it, like me. Whatever you decide Carol, know that we'll support you. But I suggest you tell Thor and get checked by Bruce, before you go making any major decisions."

She could understand why she should get checked by Bruce. He was a doctor, the default doctor for the team. It was good to know how far along she was in her pregnancy. "Why Thor? Thor's not going to be carrying a baby in him for nine months."

Natasha sighed. "Steve has just as much say about James as I do. James is his son, too. Even though I was the one pregnant. Steve… Steve was involved in his own way. Did things that got ready for James. And he shared in the pregnancy in his own way. Thor is this baby's father. At the very least he should know about it. Who knows, he could take it to Asgard, where a family could adopt it and whatever powers the baby may manifest won't seem out of place or at the very least there are people able to deal with them."

"Better off sending the kid to Hala." Natasha arched a brow. "Not going to do that, though."

"Talk to Thor. Talk to Bruce." Natasha patted her hand. "But first get some sleep. I'll get you asset up in the guest bedroom on the first floor."

"Thank you."

"What are friends for." Natasha got up, taking both cups to the sink. Bailey watched her from beneath the table. "And I thought super soldier sperm were virile."

"Nope," Carol said, popping the p as she stood. "That'll be Asgardian sperm." Both women laughed. It felt good to laugh after the heavy conversation. Especially with Natasha. It surprised her a little bit that she never actually been to their house. Looking around it felt homely, as if they had been living in it for years. Pictures lined the walls, black and whites from Steve's past — memories he wanted to share and remember — a wedding picture of her and Steve, tons of pictures of baby James (by himself, with his mother or his father or both), team pictures and a few of Natasha and Steve just being together. A dog bed was in the corner by the tv and opposite that was a cat tree. A play pen was in the space between the couch and tv. Knickknacks on high shelves, along with books and a thick Sherpa throw on the back of the couch. It was a home and to any normal person it would look like a home of any typical American family. "So, when did you guys move?" she asked, as Natasha pulled some sheets and blankets from the hall closet.

"Eh… about three months ago. Steve and Tony already picked the house, and Steve bought it. Tony had Pepper pick out furniture. The nursery still isn't set up fully yet."

"It's not?" Carol arched a brow as Natasha shook her head, grabbing a spare pillow. "Why?"

"Steve." As if that was answer enough. "He wants to paint it. The one we have back at the penthouse — he painted cute zoo animals and Disney characters on the walls and so he wants to do it here. So, we can't put furniture in until he paints it. But life keeps getting in the way and he hasn't had time to paint it yet, so most of James' stuff is in our room or packed up." She closing, the closet door with her hip and taking Carol down the dark hall to a door left slightly ajar. She nudged it open with her foot. "I keep telling him to just forget it because by the time we get all settled in James will have out grown the cutesy animals and he'll want to repaint it for something befitting a toddler, but he won't listen." She turned the light switch on with her elbow. The room was spartan, with a set of dumbbells in the corner and weighted balls and a rolled yoga mat. "Sorry about the mess. It's a guest-slash-work out room."

"It's fine," she said as Natasha put the bedding on the bed. At least it had a mattress cover on.

"Hopefully, he gets around to painting it soon, but he's thinking of going back" — Natasha began making the bed — "I mean with you being pregnant now, he may just have to cut his paternity leave short."

"Are you on maternity leave?" she asked. "Do Avengers _get_ maternity leave?" she nudged Natasha away. "I can do it. It's fine. I've slept in worse conditions."

"Haven't we all?" Natasha took a step back. "Tony calls it maternity leave. Bruce calls it being taken off the activity duty roster. Honestly, I'm about ready to get a babysitter and just got back to work. Sitting around the house is driving me crazy."

"But I thought you liked being a mom?"

"Oh, I do!" Natasha said, quickly. "Don't misconstrued me Carol, I love my son and I love motherhood, but I'm not exactly the stay-at-home mom type. More the working mom type. The daily monotony of being a stay-at-home mom will drive me batty in a few years." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's just that James is so young, and he needs me at least all the time, so Steve will go back; once James is older I think we'll end up sitting down and working on who primarily works and who primarily stays home."

Liho joined them in the room, whiskers twitching at the rush of air as Carol made the bed. The cat pulled her ears back and then jumped on the bed, tail flicking up in excitement. "Down kitty," Carol said and shook the sheet. Liho pounced on the ripple, ears and whiskers perked forward as she hunted imaginary mice. Grinning, she slipped her hand beneath the sheet and wiggled her fingers. Liho pounced, her paws making a _whap-whap_ sound against the sheets. "I think that's a good idea. I have no idea what I'm going to do," she said, zigzagging her hand about beneath the sheets to keep Liho's interest.

"Talk to Thor. Talk to Bruce."

"Okay, _Mom_." She tossed a grin over her shoulder at Natasha. The other woman laughed, shaking her head. "You go get some sleep. Ii can finish up here." Liho jumped onto her hand, wrapping her paws around her arm and biting her wrist playfully.

"You too, Carol. Don't neglect yourself. Sleep is important while pregnant and eating right. I think I still have a bottle of prenatal vitamins. You should start taking those."

"Alright, I get it. Eating for two, sleeping for two. Got it." She pulled her hand free from the cat. "I'll take care of myself." Liho jumped down from the bed to groom herself. Natasha hugged Carol.

"Good." She smiled. "Sleep well. Steve makes pancakes around seven."

"Yummy," she said, smiling. "Definitely be up for your hubby's famous pancakes."

Natasha laughed. "Hardly call them famous but he is proud of them." She gave her another hug. "Night." And left, closing the door slightly so Liho could leave when she felt like it.

With a world — no, universe — weary sigh, Carol put the final touches on the bed and stripped to her panties and pulled the shirt Natasha had snagged from the laundry (it was Steve's) over her head. She turned off the light and crawled into bed, staring at the ceiling. There was a soft rustle as Liho jumped on the bed, butting her head against her shoulder. "Good cat," she whispered, petting Liho until she curled up besides her head, purring. Carol smiled, though she missed her two cats: Chewie and Goose. "Night Liho," she whispered and put her hand over her belly. "Night baby," she added and went to sleep.


	2. Act II

It felt like Bruce was afraid of her, though she couldn't' imagine why. While as Bruce Banner, she could beat him handedly without breaking a sweat, the Hulk could smash her into the ground. Yet, despite this Bruce was staying well away from her. "C'mon Bruce," she chided, "I'm not gonna bite. I'm sure you've dealt with pregnant women before." A smile quirked her lips.

"I have," he said, looking up from the file he was reading on the other side of the room. "And I know you aren't going to suck the gamma radiation outta me."

Carol shifted on the bed. "Then get over here and let's do this ultrasound," she said. With a sigh, Bruce pushed his glasses up his nose and came over to her. "So, no biting and no going binary either?" It was a weak joke, but she had to lighten the mood.

An unhappy scowl was her answer as he grabbed a blood pressure cuff. "Hardy-har-har," he muttered, wrapping it around her bicep and pumping it until it was tight. He pressed his stethoscope against her inner elbow. "Pulse sounds good," he said, "blood pressure's normal," he added. "Lay back. Roll up your shirt, push the top of your pants down."

Nodding, Carol did as she was told, wincing when the cold gel hit her stomach. Bruce's hand was gentle as he smeared it over her lower abdomen. "Ready." Swallowing, she looked from her stomach's slight swell to the screen. Bruce turned it on, and it hummed to life. Despite not wanting to be a mother and still unsure if she wanted to keep it, she still felt a thrill as the grainy image appeared. "Is that my baby?" she asked. If it was, it looked like no baby she ever seen before, and she had seen some weird creatures when she was a puppet for the Kree.

"No," he said, moving the wand around on her belly. There was a spastic shudder on the screen. Bruce frowned. "C'mon." He kicked the base of the machine with his foot. "There," he said, pointing to the image with a grin. It was larger than she expected, clearly human — with a head and arms and legs. "I'll say you're about ten to twelve weeks. Just getting done with the first trimester."

"I" — she licked her lips, unsure what to say — "is that normal? Finding out this late?" she asked. "I'm not showing, and I only started feeling sick a few days ago. I asked Nat about morning sickness, and she said she didn't really have a bad case of it and I only really vomit when I first wake up until I get some ginger tea in me. I mean, sure, I thought my pants were getting a bit tight, but I thought it was just some weight gain."

The screen spazzed out again. "God damn it! I told Tony getting this model was a bad idea," he said, kicking the base again. Carol swallowed. "I mean, it's possible. Pregnancy is different for every woman. Some are super sensitive to the hormonal changes, hence an earlier detection since they show more common early symptoms like morning sickness." The machine gave a sorry whine and Bruce kicked the machine's base again. "Especially for women like you and Nat, who are convinced conceiving is an impossibility for you due to your medical history and body's unique physiology. So, while your body may have been showing signs of pregnancy, you wouldn't have recognized the signs as symptoms of being pregnant." He moved the wand around, getting a better picture of the baby. The baby twisted and Carol gasped at that. She couldn't feel it yet, but she saw it and it was a unique thrill at seeing her child move. The screen blinked out again and Bruce took a deep breath and counted to ten until it came back on. "Especially since you are half Kree and we have no knowledge on how Kree reproduce or if they even reproduce like mammals and if they do, how long their gestation period is." He moved the wand. The baby shifted, giving them a good look at the front. "Looks like you're having a little girl." This time the ultrasound machine blinked off again and didn't turn back on when he kicked it. "Damn it."

"Sorry," Carol said, grimacing. "My bad. One of the energy sources I can absorb is sonic. I was trying not to so… you could do this."

Bruce ran a hand through his hair and turned the machine off. "Don't be. The baby looked healthy. Vitals are normal… but then again, I have no idea what normal vitals would be for a half Asgardian, quarter human and quarter Kree child. But the baby didn't look grotesquely _abnormal_." He shrugged. "No growths that seem out of place." They shared a quick glance at the machine, hoping it'll turn on again. "So… since we can't use the ultrasound machine until I can figure out how to stop you from absorbing the energy, I want you to take it easy. You're off active duty. No flying, no fighting, no photon blasts. Rest. Go home. Buy baby things off Amazon."

She pulled a few tissues from the container near the bed and wiped the gel off her belly; she bit her lip. "What about an abortion?" she asked. She could still get one done. Most medical professionals said twenty weeks was the cut off limit as the baby was close to viable out of the womb around that time.

Bruce looked positively green at the idea. "Carol, you… you saw the image. That's a baby! It's no longer a glob of cells. It has a nose and toes, and a heartbeat. It's moving and you should start to feel it kick soon. You can't seriously be considering _killing_ it."

The horror behind his words made her flinched. "I want to keep all my options open," she said. If would be easier if she could forget the image of her baby, of it moving and wiggling its tiny arms and legs. If she could just continue to pretend it was a glob of cells with no definitive shape. That there wasn't another person inside her. "Can it still be done?" I never wanted this. "Can it?" she looked at him.

"New York allows abortion up to twenty-two weeks," he said, but refused to look at her. "But I won't do it. I won't kill an innocent unborn baby."

I never wanted this. "I won't make you," she said, balling up the tissue and tossing it into the trashcan across the room. "I just… want all my options open. And how did you know Thor was the father?" The only person she had told was Natasha.

"Nat called me, told me what's going on." He shrugged. "Thor's here, by the way, in the lounge." Bruce took his glasses off and cleaned them before wheeling the ultrasound machine away. "You should tell him."

"Why does everyone insist I tell him? I'm the one stuck being pregnant," she pointed out. "I'll be the one stuck raising the baby. Thor has duties elsewhere. It's not like he lives on Earth."

"I mean, Thor is the father," Bruce said, handing her a jar of prenatal vitamins. "Take these once a day." She took them and stuffed them into her purse. "It's common curtesy to tell the father of your kid that the kid exists. At least, I think so."

Carol snorted, slipping off the bed and readjusting her clothes. "I'll think about it," she said, "but if I do decide to keep this baby. I'm doing this on my own. I don't need Thor's help. I'm Captain Marvel, I can raise this kid."

"I'm your doctor," Bruce said, handing her a picture. "I'm not going to tell you what to do. Only advise you against putting your health and that of your baby's at risk. And that's a picture of your baby. Thought you may want to keep it."

The picture in her hand had the time stamp and her name stamped on it. The baby looked to be sucking her thumb and Carol wondered what her daughter would be like: blonde hair and blue eyes like both her parents, or will some freaky genetic throwback allow her daughter to have the dark hair of her maternal grandfather. Would the baby have Kree powers or Asgardian powers or both? What would her child's future be like? "Thank you," she said tucking the picture into the back pocket of her jeans. Awkwardly, she smoothed her shirt down, hand resting on the small swell of her stomach. "When do you want me back?"

"Next month, around the fifteenth," Bruce said. "Go talk to Thor."

Scowling, she left the medical wing, away from the sterilized smell and the machines that invaded the secrets of the body. They reminded her of the room Mar-Vell whisked her away to after the accident, where Kree medical personal poked and prodded her, stabilizing her so her all too human body wouldn't reject the graphing of his Kree DNA onto her human DNA. They did other things to her, she was sure of it. Whether Mar-Vell consented to it or was overruled by some high authority, she would never know. Mar-Vell was dead. The doors hissed opened and she took the elevator up to the lounge.

* * *

The lounge was a large spacious floor below Tony and Pepper's personal living quarters. A huge tv hung on the wall that faced the floor to ceiling windows that over looked Manhattan. The end opposite the entrance had a full stocked bar and kitchenette. A pool table and a piano sat off to her left. In front of the tv was a half circle couch and coffee table. Natasha and Steve sat together, James on his father's knee. The little baby looked around at everything, his fingers shoved into his mouth and he was wearing a Captain America onesie with grey socks. A little girl was next to him, her thick blonde hair braided, and she wore clothes familiar yet otherworldly.

In the center of the couch was a brunette — dressed similarly to the little girl — chatting with Natasha about whatever it was that mothers talked about. "Carol!" Thor boomed, spotting her as he rose from his seat next to the woman. "Come over and join us!" He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, his hair loose with his bangs in two plaits on each side. Swallowing, she walked passed Tony and Pepper and sat awkwardly next to Thor, who wasn't shy about giving her temple a tender kiss and pulling her closer to his side by the hip. "Natasha and Steven—"

"It's just Steve," Steve grumbled, before placing a kiss on the crown of James' head.

"—said you had to see Bruce due to feeling unwell." Thor frowned at that. "You do not look unwell to me."

"That's because I'm fine," she said, pulling free from him and putting a bit of space between them. "Healthy as a horse." Hopefully, the awkward smile on her face would prevent further inquiries about her health. The little girl giggled, clapping and then floated in the air. James followed her with his eyes, cooing in delight and kicking his stubby heels against Steve's leg.

"Torunn, dearest of my heart, you can't do that here," the brunette said, reaching for the little girl, grabbing her by the ankle and dragging her down. "My little shield-maiden, humans can't fly, so don't show off."

"Mama!" the little girl shrieked, when her mother tickled her. Carol noted blue-white sparks of electricity from the little girl's fingers.

"Carol," Thor said, drawing her attention away from the little girl. "I would like to introduce my wife and daughter to you" — Thor gestured to the woman and girl — "the Lady Sif and the Princess Torunn."

"Pleasure to meet you," Sif said, pausing in her tickling to allow Torunn to sit up. The little girl waved, hiccupping and wiping her mirthful tears from her eyes. "Thor has told us of your many adventures on Earth. I'm particularly curious about the one called bowling. What does that entail?"

The question drifted over Carol like a warm breeze, for the revelation that Thor was _married_ froze her to the bone. Even though she was close to Thor, done things with him — fucked him — he was still private about his life on Asgard. It never occurred to her that he would be married (he never wore a ring) and she never pressed for more information as she was private about her own personal life. It was an understanding that suited them but now it seemed that he was obliging to share this aspect of his life with everyone. "Oh." She blinked like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. "Nice to meet you. I'm Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel." She held out her hand and Sif shook it with a strong grip. "You… Your daughter is lovely."

"Thank you," she said, "she's three." Sif smiled down at her daughter, who looked like her father expect her cheekbones were delicate like her mother and she had a smoothness to her jaw.

Carol glanced at Thor — who was beaming at her as if the sun would shine for another ten billion years — and she returned it with a weak smile of her own before glancing down at her feet. How was she going to tell Thor she was pregnant? She didn't want to be a homewrecker. An oily filthy feeling slithered along her skin and she surreptitiously rubbed her arms, trying to make it go away. It was an unsettling feeling to know that she was basically Thor's mistress. A part of her hoped that what she shared with Thor would grow into something more between them. She wasn't the white picket fence type the way Steve and Natasha were, but she did want to be loved. She did want to wake up with someone holding her close, to have a connection with someone. A part of her wanted Thor to be thrilled about the baby, to agree to stay on Earth for large chunks of time, to love her. A part of her wanted more.

Clearly, to Thor it meant nothing. Just another notch on his belt. It made her wonder how many women he bedded on other planets. How many did he woo with his handsome face and kind words until they foolishly spread their legs for him only for him to vanish along the Bifröst, never to be seen again. Besides, what did the women of other worlds matter to him, when he had Sif to come home to? An Asgardian gentlewoman, who had rank and beauty and was a warrior in her own right. They probably meant nothing to him, and it made her sick to her stomach realizing that she was one such woman. Only this time, she was pregnant with his bastard.

Sif and Natasha giggled, grinning as they glanced between her and Thor, both nodding vigorously. Frowning, Carol stood and went to the balcony feigning needing some air. JARVIS opened the door for her and once outside she took a deep breath. The warm muggy June air filled her lungs and she wished she could fly for she had a strong desire to just free fall to clear her head. Instead, she contented herself with watching the birds fly about. An airplane drone overhead, leaving a vapor trail in the clear blue sky. "Why do you cry?" Thor asked. She stiffened; surprised that she was crying, and that Thor even followed her.

"You have a lovely family," she said, wiping away her tears and folding her arms beneath her breasts. "Torunn is adorable."

Thor beamed at the praise. "She is. A mountain full of energy. My mother adores her." Thor looked out over the city. "One day, I hope she takes my place and protects Midgard — Earth — the way I do. The way James will once he's old enough to carry his father's shield."

"You think James will become Captain America after Steve?" she asked, gaze drifting over to watch the city. Would her daughter carry on the name of Captain Marvel after her? Would she even want too? "I thought Steve and Natasha would… encourage him to find his own path."

"A child like James is destined to follow in his or her parents' footsteps. James could never fully lead a normal life on Earth. Not with his father's serum in his veins. His only choice is to become a hero and protect others."

"And if he doesn't want to?"

Thor laughed. "I cannot fathom him not wanting to, Carol. He'll grow up listening to stories of his parents' heroics, learning their songs by heart. The glory of their adventures will be an allure too great for him to resist. He'll want to live up to that, out do it even" — Thor glanced at his hands — "the way I want to out do the glories of my father," he whispered.

"You have plenty of glory, Thor," she said, inching closer to him. "I'm sure Odin is very proud of your accomplishments."

Thor shrugged. "He thinks I spend too much time here. But I enjoy being on Earth. I can forget for a moment about my duties to Asgard," he said and grabbed her hand. "Besides, Earth is your home."

"Hasn't been a home for me in a long time," she admitted, glancing at their hands, "but it's not bad. Then again, I've always had a wanderlust, always wanted to explore the stars. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of seeing worlds beyond Earth, exploring distant stars. I wanted to be an astronaut."

Thor chuckled. "And you did. You are Captain Marvel. Hero to all in the universe. You got to see planets no human will ever know about." He smiled. "You should be proud of your own accomplishments."

Smiling, she nodded. "Yeah. I never thought I'd be Captain Marvel when I was ten. To be honest, I thought I'd just end up sitting in some cold room watching blips in the light of distant stars."

"You would have been unhappy with such a fate," Thor declared, "you are not meant to be in a cage, even if you chose it." He took a step back and pulled something out from his pocket. It was a necklace of the finest crystal. Small tear drops began at both ends of the clasp, growing larger until they reached the center were a large crystal cut into the shape of a starburst hung, with delicate golden wire circling the base of each of the eight points.

"Oh my," she whispered, slipping her hand beneath the starburst. "Thor it's beautiful." There was a strange warmth to the star pendant and if she looked closely, she could almost see the twisting plasma flares that coil about an actual star, that surround her when she goes binary.

"I'm glad you like it," he said, "for it's a gift to you." He touched the star. "A star for the star of my heart."

"Thor?" she looked up at him, confused. The smile on his face was tender, loving, as if she was the beginning and ending of everything for him. "I don't understand."

"This necklace was made by the Ljósálfar — Light elves — of Alfheim, in the heart of a dying star. They have a unique magic and were able to capture the essence and light of the star within the crystal." He plucked it from her hand and looped it around her neck, securing it at her nape. He took a step back and beamed. "It suits you."

It wasn't heavy, contrary to how it looked. She could feel the warmth from the star, and it glittered in the sunlight. The ultrasound image of their daughter burned in her back pocket, but the words stuck in her throat. She wouldn't be a homewrecker, the other woman. She knew what it was like growing up in a broken family. Her parents may not have gotten divorced but looking back on it now — as an adult, she understood it wasn't a happy marriage. She couldn't do that to Torunn. She couldn't be the reason for tension between her parents. Taking the necklace off she held it out to Thor. "I'm sorry," she said, placing it in his palm. The unshed tears clogged her throat. "But I can't."

"Carol…"

"You have a beautiful family Thor, a little girl, and I don't want to be the reason that her world shatters."

"Carol, you don't understand—"

"It's fine," she said, putting a finger to his lips. "I'm happy being friends." She took a few steps back, keeping the smile in place. "I have to go." She left him standing there on the balcony. Everyone was staring at her: Natasha, Steve, Tony, Pepper and Sif. Swallowing, Carol put on a smile for everyone before making a quick exit out of the lounge and ultimately the tower itself.

* * *

It was an odd place to put a city bench. She kept staring at the ultrasound picture. It was almost four o'clock and she was hungry. The clinic would be closing soon, and she still hadn't decided if she wanted to follow through on this or not. The lady at the counter when she went in earlier was nice and informative. They could do the procedure, won't ask any questions, and any information they needed Carol could easily provide from memory. It would even be a same-day procedure. Quick. Simple. Easy.

Then why couldn't I commit? The slight breeze buffeted the picture and she couldn't stop thinking about how she watched her baby move, how Thor got a necklace made just for her by elves. But he was married, and she didn't want to be a homewrecker. A part of her wanted to call her mom, ask her for advice; but she hadn't spoken to her mom since her dad died and hadn't seen her mom since the funeral. Whatever bond she had with her mother had withered and died and not for her lack of wanting or trying. That was just the nature of her family. It wasn't meant to be whole. Besides, she had better luck in finding a family than the one she was born into.

It was just that she wish she had some guidance. Someone to give her advice on what to do, though in reality nobody could tell her what the right choice was. The baby had moved, she had seen it twist about and kick its small legs. Bruce had said that in a few weeks she'll be able to feel the baby move. And if she concentrated, she could almost feel the small flutters. Her baby was alive and yet she was sitting outside a Planned Parenthood clinic debating about an abortion. Sighing, she looked at the sky, her hand resting on her stomach.

The girl was no older than six with golden hair and eyes blue as the sea. She was laughing, tugging along a boy with red hair. She jumped and floated in the air. The boy looked nervous. _Leah, put him down. You know he doesn't like heights._ It was the voice of the girl's unseen mother — it sounded like her voice — and the girl lowered herself and the boy to the ground and the boy ran off beyond her field of view. _Leah, you know better. _The mother said and the little girl muttered an apology.

Carol shuddered, blinking as she took in great gulps of air. Though they were rare, she would sometimes get precognitive flashes. Potential futures. Mostly they were a few seconds ahead: her opponent's next immediate move, the twist in the path ahead of her. Never had they been so far in the future and about someone else. A deep-seated sense of knowing spread across her body. The little girl in the vision was her daughter. She didn't know how she knew she just did. And if her daughter grew up to be friends with James, then if she went through with the procedure her daughter would never get that chance. Natasha told her that she knew she had to give James the chance at life.

She saw her baby move, she saw her baby as a little girl in a vision. She glanced back at the Planned Parenthood clinic. It was warm and inviting, images of young people smiling and motivational and comforting logos. A warm welcoming front. A place for people unsure on what to do to come and have a plan, an option. She saw her baby move. Standing up, Carol tucked the picture back into her back pocket, her mind made up. She knew what she had to do.

She was keeping her baby and she would do it without Thor. Honestly, how hard could it be? She was Captain Marvel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MCU (c) Marvel Studios
> 
> I am so sorry I haven't updated anything. Last week was just stressful and I wasn't feel really good. I think it's because my parents were leaving for Europe and I was stressed on how everything was going to work.
> 
> For those reading Catching Feelings (if you like Romanogers, go read that): I haven't forgotten the story! I just haven't sat down and updated it. How I wrote chapter eleven long hand is a bit convoluted and I just don't have the patience to flip through pages and then flip back through pages and gaaah. Yeah. But I haven't forgotten it. I actually am working on chapter 12. So hopefully next week I'll get my ass in gear and write it.
> 
> Thank you to everyone that's reviewed this fic. For those that came over from Fireworks, Baby and were expecting a direct sequel: I'm sorry. It's a sorta sequel. But don't worry, I do have a plan to work a Steve and Nat scene in and how their marriage is later on down the line. As due to things, this story will not end when Carol's baby is born.
> 
> Save an author; leave a review.

**Author's Note:**

> MCU (c) Marvel Studios
> 
> So this story has been bothering me for a while now, and I finally decided to write it down. Thank you for reading it. A few notes
> 
> Carol's background (and personality) is heavily based off her origins in the comics, with some elements from the MCU version of the character added (since I mainly write within the MCU verse and add comic elements as I see fit)
> 
> Mar-Vell is a man.
> 
> I started shipping Thor/Carol after I saw that an early Endgame plot was to have them in some sort of romance. And I thought it would be funny considering they both have large egos and the sex would probably be amazing and I just kinda end up loving it.
> 
> This is sorta a sequel to Fireworks, Baby. (So uh… spoilers) But can be read as a standalone.
> 
> Save an author; leave a review.


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